The Schroon Lake Arts Council continues to push the artistic envelope with the addition of another weekly event: Sunday in the Park.

That’s on top of their Monday night band jams, the Tuesday night Boathouse Concert Series and the annual Adirondack Folk Festival.

The creative genius behind Sunday in the Park is the Arts Council's Mikki McSherry.

We caught up with Mikki (via email) to give us a behind the scenes look at how a concept became a reality.

Who came up with the idea?

I came up with the idea. Everyone seems to do "Concerts in the Park". I wanted something different. Tanglewood in Massachusetts does Art in the Park. I modeled our Sunday in the Park on their idea. Also, many of the folks that frequent our SLAC events are aging both the Board Members and audience. I am hoping that the Sunday in the Park events bring a younger and more diversified audience. We desperately need volunteers who will eventually become board members. There are currently six board members and about 10 -20 active volunteers. Also, our primary focus has been on music. I want to expand to theater, dance, visual arts (painting, sketching, sculpture, etc.).

I would like vendors who have artistic items to sell and would love to talk about their craft. I am hoping that we can become a conduit for linking artists with people who want to learn what they are doing.

How difficult was it to launch?

We are off to a slow start but we hope interest and participation in these events will grow with each week.

How is it financed?

The funding is from a Decentralization Grant from the Adirondack Tri-Lakes Council (I am not sure if that is the full and correct name of the organization but I can get that for you). We received less than half of the requested amount. But with the $2,350, we are making things work out as best we can.

How were the acts chosen?

I specifically looked for acts that were culturally diverse and from a variety of art forms, etc. Latin and Chinese dance, storytelling, improv. theater, songwriting, and vocal and instrumental musicians. Each act had to offer something that would not be easily found here in the Adirondacks. I want to open the depth and breadth of the arts here in Schroon Lake and beyond.

How was the reaction to the first event - on that very hot Sunday?

The first Sunday (July 1) was actually a celebration of my 25th wedding anniversary. My husband I financed the event but also advertised it as a Kick-off to the opening of the 2018 season for the Schroon Lake Arts Council. I think the heat kept many people away but it is estimated that about 300 people stopped by during the 3 hours. Several folks stated that they preferred the 5-8 pm time slot and that they would like "Concerts in the Park" each week, maybe next year, we'll see how things go this year.